DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2 March 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Examiner thanks Applicant for the corrected translation. Reference will now be made to that English translation, below.
Applicant argues that Schmid does not explicitly disclose steps e1-e3), now recited in independent claims 1 and 8. However, Applicant states regarding paragraph 0047 of Schmid “the advanced support fingers 23 support the wires 11a. The wires 1 la push the support fingers 23 radially outward. Thus, the support fingers 23 are moved along with the wires. It is clearly stated that there is no relative movement between the support fingers 23 and the winding elements.” However, step e1) recites “moving the support fingers along with the coil winding” (emphasis added). Thus, the claim requires the support fingers to be moved along with the wires, as this is what Schmid teaches, Schmid still teaches independent claims 1 and 8.
Applicant further argues regarding canceled claim 6 that Schmid does not explicitly disclose removing windings. However, this is not required by the claims.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 2 should recite “arrangement of the radially movable…”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 3: b5) recites “a joining tool as joining tool”, this is unclear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 8-9, and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schmid et al (“Schmid”; DE 10 2020 117771 A1, Reference made to Applicant’s provided English translation of 2 March 2026).
Regarding claim 1: Schmid discloses a method for inserting a coil winding (16) into a component (12) of an electrical machine, the method comprising:
a) providing the component (12) with an annular arrangement of inwardly opening slots (17) which are bounded by inwardly projecting slot boundaries (shown best in Fig. 7b),
b) providing the coil winding (16) wound with a coil diameter which is equal to or smaller than an inner diameter of the annular arrangement inside the annular arrangement, the coil winding having a plurality of straight conductor sections which are connected by winding heads (paragraph 0041),
c) providing radially movable support fingers (23) axially adjacent the slot boundaries (paragraph 0013),
d) expanding the coil winding outwards while inserting the straight conductor sections of the coil winding into the inwardly opening slots (paragraph 0043), and
e) moving the radially movable support fingers radially along with the coil winding to guide the straight conductor sections, or the winding heads, or both during insertion of the straight conductor sections of the coil windings into the inwardly opening slots (paragraph 0045), wherein step e) comprises:
e1) moving the support fingers along with the coil winding from a home position (Fig. 7a) over a partial distance to a radial intermediate position (Fig. 8a) between a radially inwardly open mouth (Fig. 9a) and a radially outwardly located slot base of the associated inwardly opening slot (paragraphs 0057-0058),
e2) returning the support fingers from the radial intermediate position to the home position or to a further intermediate position closer to the home position (in this case, back to the home position of Fig. 7a), and
e3) repeating steps e1) and e2) (as the positions in Fig. 7-9 are carried on to remove/insert windings, the positions will be used based on whether a winding is being inserted or removed, paragraphs 0057-0058).
Regarding claim 2: Schmid discloses wherein step a) comprises at least one or more of:
a1) providing an annular base body of the stator (12, Fig. 2a, the stator is annular);
a2) providing a laminated core of a stator (paragraph 0057), and
a3) providing the component with insulating paper in the individual inwardly opening slots (paragraph 0011).
Regarding claim 3: Schmid discloses wherein step b) comprises at least one or more of:
b1) providing a coil mat formed from individual wave winding wires for forming the coil winding;
b2) providing the coil winding from wires having a rectangular wire cross-section (paragraph 0003);
b3) providing the coil winding from wires having an insulating layer;
b4) providing the coil winding on a joining tool which is inserted into an interior space inside the component having the annular arrangement of inwardly open slots;
b5) compressing the smaller diameter coil winding on a joining tool as joining tool; and,
b6) providing the coil winding in such a way that the straight conductor sections are inserted into joining tool slots between radially movable guide elements.
Regarding claim 4: Schmid discloses wherein step c) comprises at least one or more of:
c1) providing one support finger of the radially moveable support fingers per slot boundary of the component (Fig. 4 shows one slot per finger 23);
c2) providing each of the radially moveable support fingers with a wedge-shape which is tapered when viewed from a radial outside to a radial inside (Fig. 4 shows a wedge-shaped finger);
c3) providing each of the radially moveable support fingers with a first side surface and a second side surface, wherein the first and second side surfaces extend substantially in an axial direction and the radial direction and approach each other when viewed from a radial outside to a radial inside,
c4) providing each of the radially moveable support fingers in a home position in such a way that the radially moveable support fingers each completely cover an end face of one of the slot boundaries which points in an axial direction;
c5) providing each of the radially moveable support fingers in a home position in such a way that side surfaces of the radially moveable support fingers, which extend substantially in an axial direction and a radial direction, are aligned at least with slot sides pointing towards a center of the slot or circumferentially project to the center of a respective bounded slot beyond edges of the slot boundaries, or beyond the slot sides pointing towards a center of the slot, or a combination thereof,
c6) providing each of the radially moveable support fingers with rounded upper sides or upper sides flattened at corner edges and pointing substantially in an axial direction; and,
c7) providing an annular arrangement of the radially moveable support fingers on a support finger movement mechanism for radial movement of the support fingers.
Regarding claim 5: Schmid discloses step d) comprises at least one or more of:
d1) applying a radially outwardly directed force to the straight conductor sections of the coil winding to expand the straight conductor sections radially outwardly and insert the straight conductor sections into the inwardly opening slots (paragraph 0041-0043); and,
d2) applying a radially directed force to the winding heads of the coil winding (paragraph 0041-0043).
Regarding claim 8: Schmid discloses an apparatus for inserting a coil winding (16) into a component (12) of an electrical machine, the apparatus comprising:
a holder for the component (12) which is provided with an annular arrangement of inwardly opening slots (17) which are bounded by inwardly projecting slot boundaries (Fig. 7b);
a joining device (22) comprising a joining tool (22) designed for arranging the coil winding (16) wound with a coil diameter equal to or smaller than an inner diameter of the annular arrangement and having a plurality of straight conductor sections which are connected by winding heads inside the annular arrangement, the joining device configured to expand the coil winding outwardly while inserting the straight conductor sections of the coil winding into the inwardly opening slots (paragraph 0041: the coil is compressed to be inserted),
an arrangement of radially movable support fingers (23) axially adjacent the slot boundaries, and a support finger moving mechanism for radially moving the radially moveable support fingers (paragraph 0013 and 0043), and
a control unit (inherent as the movement is controlled) configured to control the support finger movement mechanism with the joining device as a function of an expansion movement by the coil winding in such a way that the radially moveable support fingers move radially along with the coil winding to guide the straight conductor sections, or the winding heads, or both during insertion (paragraphs 0045-0047), wherein the control unit is further configured to control the support finger movement mechanism for:
e1) moving the support fingers along with the coil winding from a home position (Fig. 7a) over a partial distance to a radial intermediate position (Fig. 8a) between a radially inwardly open mouth (Fig. 9a) and a radially outwardly located slot base of the associated inwardly opening slot (paragraphs 0057-0058),
e2) returning the support fingers from the radial intermediate position to the home position or to a further intermediate position closer to the home position (in this case, back to the home position of Fig. 7a), and
e3) repeating steps e1) and e2) (as the positions in Fig. 7-9 are carried on to remove/insert windings, the positions will be used based on whether a winding is being inserted or removed, paragraphs 0057-0058).
Regarding claim 9: Schmid discloses the arrangement of the radially moveable support fingers comprises:
one support finger of the radially moveable support fingers per slot boundary of the component (Fig. 4 shows one slot per finger 23); or
each of the radially moveable support fingers have a wedge-shape which is tapered when viewed from a radial outside to a radial inside (Fig. 4 shows a wedge-shaped finger); or
each of the radially moveable support fingers has a first side surface and a second side surface, the first and second side surfaces extend substantially in an axial direction and a radial direction and approach each other when viewed from a radial outside to a radial inside; or
each of the radially moveable support fingers, for advancing the radially moveable support fingers in a home position is configured such that each radially movable support finger completely covers an end face of the respective slot boundaries which points in an axial direction; or
side surfaces for the radially movable support fingers, which side surfaces extend substantially in an axial direction and a radial direction, are at least aligned with slot sides pointing towards a center of the slot or circumferentially project to a center of the respective bounded slot beyond edges of the slot boundaries, or beyond the slot sides pointing towards the center of the slot, or both; or
each of the radially moveable support fingers has rounded upper sides or upper sides flattened at corner edges and pointing substantially in the axial direction; or
any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 12: Schmid discloses an assembly comprising: the apparatus according to claim 8,
the component (12) having the annular arrangement of the inwardly opening slots, and
the coil winding (16) to be inserted into the component with of the joining apparatus (see rejection of claim 8, above).
Regarding claim 13: Schmid discloses the component is an annular base body of a stator (12, Fig. 2a, the stator is annular), or is a laminated core of a stator (paragraph 0057), or has insulating paper in the individual inwardly opening slots (for example, paragraph 0011); or
wherein the coil winding a coil mat formed from individual wave winding wires, or
comprises a coil mat made of wires having a rectangular wire cross-section; or comprises a coil mat made of wires having an insulating layer; or
any combination thereof.
Regarding claim 14: Schmid discloses a control unit configured to perform the method according to claim 1 (inherent as the method of claim 1 is known, it must be able to be carried out).
Regarding claim 15: Schmid discloses a non-transitory computer readable media storing a computer program comprising instructions configured to cause an apparatus to perform the method according to claim 1 (inherent as the method of claim 1 is known, it must be able to be carried out).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 11 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
The prior art of record, alone or in combination does not explicitly teach, suggest, or render obvious, at least to the skilled artisan the method of claim 7, specifically comprising:
wherein steps e1) and e2) are carried out in such a way that in the home position the straight conductor sections of the coil winding rest against side surfaces of the supporting fingers, which side surfaces extend substantially in an axial direction and a radial direction, and in the intermediate position the straight conductor sections still rest against the side surfaces or rest against slot walls pointing towards a slot center and are urged in a circumferential direction on the side surfaces of the support fingers when the support fingers are returned, in the context of the other components in the claim.
Claim 11 is allowable for reciting a similar limitation.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/SEAN GUGGER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834